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THE  AUTHOR  AT  LEISURE 


I      CACTUS 


AND 


Rill 

MS  1 


BY 

Charles  r.  Bernetzke 

PHOENIX,    ARIZONA 
1917 


■  PUBLISHED     BY                                                              in 

S  THE    NEWS    PUBLISHING   CO.                              !■ 

wn  '"'' 

mi  Los      ANGELES,     CALIFORNIA                                                           ||||! 

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Hill  IIIH 

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Introduction 


TTHE  author  of  this  Booklet  is  not  a  personal  friend 
of  ours,  and  for  that  reason  we  can  be  frank  in 
expressing  our  favorable  view  of  his  work;  but  we 
think  he  has  already  rendered  a  great  service  to  the 
people  of  the  West,  and  not  to  Arizona  alone.  The 
present  Booklet  seems  'to  us  a  model  of  lucid,  pictur- 
esque and  sympathetic  narrative,  and  no  doubt  it  will, 
we  feel  sure,  be  of  lasting  value  to  those  who  may 
have  the  pleasure  of  reading  it. 

No,  kind  reader,  we  never  questioned  your  intelli- 
gence— you  read  this  Booklet,  and  that  speaks  in 
terms  of  its  own. 

-NiEWS^KUBLISHING  CO. 


giiiiiaiiii«i3siai9aias9i#siii3«3i3^i 


S 

s 


COPYRIGHTED  1917 
PUBLISHED  BY 

Charles  R.  Bernetzke 
phoenix,  arizona 


u»iiiiiiiii§iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! 

368207 


Contents 

Page 

Desert  Scene — Prospector  with  His  Burro Cover  Design 

Caught  On  the  Wing 6 

Season's  Greeting 7 

Our  Creed:  Good  Will  Toward  All  Men 7 

Those  Familiar  Scenes  of  Bygone  Days 7 

A  Tribute  to  Mother 8 

To  My  Friends  of  Nature's  Molding 8 

Valley  of  Maricopa  County's  Soul 9 

Come  With  Us 9 

The  Land  of  Today 10 

Off  for  the  Country 11 

Scatter  Your  Flowers  of  Love  Today 11 

When  We  Have  Done  Our  Task 11 

Today's  Tribute 11 

Write  Mother  That  Letter  Before  It  Is  Too  Late 12 

Invitation  to  James  Whitcomb  Riley 13 

An  Arizona  Ranger  Toast 14 

Broken  Promises 14 

Little  Things  of  Life 15 

Do  What  You  Can 15 

Old  Burro,  Friend  of  Mine 16 

(With  illustration  on  opposite  page) 

The  Lonely  Prospector's  Life  in  the  Golden  West 17 

Come,  Friend,  With  Me 18 

The  Poet's  Prayer 18 

Some  of  Life's  Characters 19 

Campaign  Letters  I  Have  Not  Sent 19 

For  Arizona 19 

Rustle  for  Your  Own 20 

A  Nature's  Prayer 21 

Why  Not  Cheer  Them? 21 

Look  Pleasant 22 

Christmastide 22 

Arizona,  an  Ole  Sweetheart  o'  Mine 23 

This  Is  the  Land 23 

Life's  Friendly  Smile 24 


1^ 


'  ; .;  ',\i  ;  Page 

Love  Means  Service : . .  ^ .*./.'..  I ........  24 

Boost  for  "Yavapai" 25 

Courtesy  Has  a  Big  Value 26 

A  Blessing 26 

Christmas  Night 27 

The  Fruits  of  Our  Labor 27 

Arizona,  God*s  Country 28 

School  Days 28 

An  Arizona  Toast 29 

The  Cactus  Giant 29 

Nature's  Beauty  Helps  to  Form  Character 30 

More  Brotherhood  of  Man  Is  the  Cry  Today 30 

Peace  Thonght 30 

Don't  Feel  Blue 31 

If  He  Is  Your  Friend 31 

Meters  Everywhere 31 

San  Xavier  Mission  Fathers  Were  Trail  Blazers 32 

When  San  Xavier  Mission  Was  New 32 

(With  illustration  on  next  page) 

February  Month  Is  One  of  Awakening 33 

A  True  Heart  I  Want  for  a  Friend 33 

Cause  for  Thanksgiving 34 

Arizona  Nuggets 35 

To  My  Successor 36 

New  Year's  Time 37 

A  Bed  of  Violets 38 

Let  Nature  Comfort  You 39 

What's  In  the  Heart  Will  Appear  in  the  Face 39 

Natural  Thoughts  of  God's  Nature  Land 40 

A  Bright  New  Year 42 

The  Flower  of  Civilization 43 

Desert's  Beauty  By  Moonlight 44 

My  California  Friend 44 

The  Joy  of  Outdoor  Life 45 

When  We  First  Met 45 

Toil,  the  Price  of  Peace  and  Joy 45 

The  Friendship  Flower 46 

Arizona  Welcomes  You •  •  46 

Salutation 47 


CAUGHT  ON  THE  WING 


Author's  Note 

/^WIN'G  to  the  many  demands  of  my  western  friends 
and  acquaintances  to  publish  my  poems  and 
short  articles  in  booklet  form,  although  many  of  them 
have  already  appeared  in  the  local  press  from  time  to 
time,  and  collecting  them  has  been  a  difficult  task  ow- 
ing to  the  number  of  my  poems  having  been  lost  since 
my  twelve  years  of  literary  work,  while  on  the  other 
hand,  for  the  want  of  space  in  this  Booklet,  half  the 
material  on  hand  must  wait  for  some  future  date. 

The  contents  of  this  Booklet  is  optimistic  and  con- 
structive, creating  conservative  opinion,  progressive, 
uplifting  and  bettering  human  conditions,  to  promote 
the  brotherhood  of  man.  It  appeals  to  a  substantial 
and  thinking  class. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


CACTUS   AND   BLOSSOMS 

Season's  Greeting 

A  OGEPT  this  little  book  from  me 
^"^      As  a  pledge  of  friendship  true ; 
On  its  pages  find  good  wishes 

That  the  writer  brings  to  you; 
And  may  nothing  come  between  us 

But  the  seasons  that  come  and  go — 
May  the  friendliness  the  future  brings 

Make  us  ever  warmer  friends. 


Our  Creed:  Good  Will  Toward  All  Men 

A  S  THE  world  grows  older  we  learn  that  the  broth- 
^^  erhood  of  man  includes  all  races  and  all  creeds; 
and  especially  on  this  continent,  dedicated  to  liberty, 
'to  justice  and  to  human  betterment,  we  must  learn,  as 
w€  are  learning,  that  we  have  too  many  problems  of 
common  interest,  too  many  economic,  industrial  and 
political  questions  which  demand  the  best  that  is  in  aH 
of  us  to  waste  our  time  in  selfish  strife.  We  must  put 
such  things  behind  us  and  turn  our  faces  to  the  work 
of  building  up  our  co'mmon  country  and  to  the  solving 
of  those  problems  of  social  democracy  which  help  to 
make  for  peace  on  earth  and  good  will  toward  all  men. 


Those  Familiar  Scenes  of  Bygone  Days 

'T'H'E  old  rail  fence  and  the  log  cabin,  that  both  still 
■'•  bring  sacred  thoughts  of  hallowed  memory  and 
tender  recollection,  are  no  more.  These  old  friends 
of  ours  have  served  us  well — we  need  them  no  more; 
we  have  grown  beyond  them. 

But,  today,  when  I  witnessed  the  tearing  down  of 
the  last  adobe  house  in  the  neighborhood  of  our  desert 
city,  it  seemed  to  me  (old  foggy  that  I  am)  that  the 
event  was  solemn  enough  to  celebrate  with  appropri- 
ate and  impressive  ceremonies. 


8  •       CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS 

A  Tribute  to  Mother 

DIGHT  at  the  beginning  of  this  Booklet,  I  wish  to 
^  give  the  credit  for  what  I  am  and  for  what  I  have 
done  exactly  where  it  belongs — to  my  mother — for  she 
was  my  inspiration  in  my  boyhood  years  and  taught 
me  ho'W  to  pray. 

At  my  mother's  knees  I  learned  the  prayers 

That  bring  back  memories  of  boyhood  years — 
/Memories  that  still  bless  and  burn 

Of  hope  and  gain,  eternal  blessed ; 
Memories  that  shall  ever  bless  and  burn, 

Even  until  memories  have  fled. 

To  My  Friends  of  Nature's  Molding 

'X'HERE  are  men  that  time  but  mellows  as  it  ever 

onward  goes. 
There  are  hearts  that  carry  fragrance  as  the  fragrance 

of  the  rose ; 
There  are  greetings  that  are  warmer  for  the  snowy 

frosted  head. 
There  are  memories  we  shall  treasure  e'en  till  memory 

has  fled. 
There  are  faces  in  our  midst  time  has  furrowed,  where 

are  joy  and  sorrow  blend. 
There  are  feet  that  ne'er  grow  weary  when  on  deeds 

of  kindness  bent ; 
There  are  souls  that  bid  defiance  to  each  worldly  selfish 

creed ; 
There  are  men  we  love  to  honor  for  each  thought  and 

word  and  deed. 
There  are  those  who  are  sunbeams  in  our  ranks  as  they 

go  to  their  daily  round, 
They  are  worthy  of  remembrance,  for  seldom  are  they 

found. 
So   I   write   thisi  humble   tribute,   though   it  needs   a 

worthier  pen, 
To  my  Arizona  friends  of  nature's  molding,  one  who 

loves  his  fellowmen. 


CACTUS   AND   BLOSSOMS 

Valley  of  Maricopa  County's  Soul 

IN  GOOD  old  Maricopa  County 

There  is  a  valley  green, 
The  fairest,  rarest,  dearest, 

Of  all  this  state,  I  ween. 
Oh,  its  silvery,  laughing  rivulets, 

Hedged  in  with  flowers  gay, 
And  rows  of  palms  so  stately, 

Have  won  my  love  for  aye. 

In  its  softly  smiling  bosom 

A  golden  harvest  lies ; 
Methinks  the  sunshine's  glory 

Hath  strayed  down  from  on  high. 
And  within  the  breast  of  nature 

Hath  hid  itself  in  part. 
So  we  call  this  golden  treasure 

'Maricopa  County's  heart. 

But  o'er  this  valley  lovely 

A  blessed  spirit  thrills, 
It  breathes  in  fields  so  sunny, 

And  o'er  the  verdant  hills ; 
It  breathes  from  ripening  orchards, 

'Tis  free  beyond  control ; 
"Tis  the  spirit  of  the  harvest. 

From  Maricopa  County's  soul. 

Come  With  Us 

CAY,  you  of  the  city!  who  sweat  and  toil, 
^     Come  with  us  to  the  woods  and  hills. 
Away  from  the  noises  and  city  strife. 
In_our  cabin  among  the  whispering  trees, 
Among  the  birds  and  the  humming  bees ; 
The  land  of  nature  and  God's  free  soil, 
Where  man  meets  his  maker,  face  to  face — 
His  work  you  will  find  on  every  hand. 
Come !  abide  with  us  in  this  beautiful  land. 


10  CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS 

The  Land  of  Today 

CWING  inward,  O  times  of  the  future; 
Swing  outward,  ye  times  of  the  past; 
For  the  soul  of  the  people  is  moving 
Westward  is  the  call  of  today. 

The  days  of  the  old  are  retreating, 

The  green  meadows  have  signalled  the  change ; 
Southward  the  empire's  way  is  beating, 

And  calling  the  sons  of  today. 

The  soil  tells  the  same  fruitful  story, 
The  seasons  their  bounties  display, 

And  the  flowers  lift  their  faces  in  glory 
To  catch  the  sun  kisses  of  day. 

The  desert  has  awakened  from  slumber. 

And  rendered  its  beauty  at  last ; 
The  land  is  prepared  for  the  many, 

The  future  has  conquered  the  past. 


Off  for  the  Country 

JUST  for  a  stay  in  the  country  once  a  year; 
Jiust  for  a  stay  where  shade  plays  on  a  creek? 
Shooting,  fishing  and  watching  the  trout  at  play 
In  the  waters,  joyed  with  delight,  as  they  swim 
Over  boulders  by  the  moss-grown  rocks. 
Turn  and  splash,  pitch  and  leap  to  and  fro. 

Just  for  a  stay  in  the  country,  and  leave  the  noise  far 

behind ; 
Life's  mad  blur,  the  city's  turmoil  and  strife. 
Foolish  struggling  all  the  time ;  all  the  jar 
Lost  in  that  shady  nook  by  the  brook  afar. 
Just  for  a  stay^ — and  there  to  seek  quietude  from  all  jar, 
One  can  find  it  by  a  creek  up  in  Yavapai. 


w 


CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS  11 

Scatter  Your  Flowers  of  Love  Today 

E  SHOULD  all  show  more  of  our  appreoiation  to 
our  friends  while  they  are  living  with  us,  and  not 
wait,  as  we  are  too  often  inclined  to  do,  to  place  the 
flowers  fo  appreciation  on  their  coffin,  instead  of  to  the 
living. 

Oh,  my  friend,  it  would  be  better 

If  to  those  we  love  we  gave 
Tender  words  while  they  are  with  us, 

Than  to  say  them  over  a  grave. 
Those  who  die  no  longer  need  them, 

And  the  words  they  longed  to  hear 
While  they  lived,  are  only  wasted 
On  the  cold,  silent,  deaf  ear. 


When  We  Have  Done  Our  Task 

YJf/HEN  we  have  done  our  task 
^^     And  lay  down  our  earthly  robes, 
That  we  can  truthfully  say : 
On  our  great  American  altar 
We  have  sacrificed  our  best ; 
Never  known  to  have  faltered 
When  our  country  called  for  us. 
Deeds,  not  great,  but  humble  efforts. 
We  served  our  country  with  the  best. 
That  will  be  placed  in  America's  record 
By  the  true  home-loving  men. 


Today^s  Tribute 

T^HERE  is  no  greater  tribute  to  be  paid  a  man  in 
"■•     these  days  of  selfishness  than  when  you  can  say 
of  him :  ''He  is  on  the  square." 


12  CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS 

Write  Mother  That  Letter  Before  It  h  Too  Late 

IF  YOU  have  a  gray-haired  mother 

In  the  old  home  far  away, 
Sit  down  and  write  the  letter 

You  put  off  day  by  day ; 
Don't  wait  until  her  tired  steps 

Reach  Heavens  pearly  gate, 
But  show  her  that  you  still  love  her 

Before  it  is  too  late. 

If  you've  a  tender  message 

Or  a  loving  word  to  say, 
Don't  wait  till  you  forget  it. 

But  whisper  it  to  her  today. 
Who  knows  what  bitter  memories 

May  haunt  you  if  you  wait ; 
So  make  your  loving  mother  happy 

Before  it  is  too  late. 

We  live  but  in  the  present. 

The  future  is  unknown : 
Tomorrow  is  a  mystery. 

Today  is  all  our  own. 
The  chance  to  write  that  letter 

May  vanish  while  you  wait. 
So  send  your  mother  that  letter 

Before  it  is  too  late. 

The  tender  word  unspoken. 

The  letters  never  sent; 
The  long  forgotten  messages, 

The  wealth  of  love  unspent. 
For  these  a  mother's  heart  is  breaking. 

For  these  a  loving  mother  waits ; 
Show  her  that  you  care  for  her 

Before  it  is  too  late. 


CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS  13 

Invitation  to  James  Whitcomb  Riley 

TTHE  author  sent  the  following  cordial  invitation  to 
"the  poet  laureate  of  Indiana,"  James  Whitcomb 
Riley,  who  was  spending  the  winter  at  Palm  Beach, 
Florida : 
Dear  Sir  and  Friend  : 

Phoenix,  Arizona,  and  the  beautiful  sun-kissed  val- 
ley of  Southern  Arizona  extends  to  you  a  most  cordial 
invitation  to  spend  a  winter  among  the  orange  groves. 
Where  sunshine  is  our  burnin'  hearth, 
And  friends  are  gathered  'round  it ; 
Old  faces  aglow,  from  far  an'  near, 
That  are  from  northland  journeying  here. 
Each  winter  day  brings  a  delight 
Of  sunny  skies  an'  fields  so  bright, 
That's  summer  sunshine  in  this  clime, 
That  balmy  air  Arizona  yields. 
The  latch  striing's  always  hangin'  out 
For  good  friends,  old  an'  new ; 
My  hearth  is  wide,  come  O'U't  there — 
I've  saved  a  place  for  you,  friend. 
Sincerely  yours, 

'The  Poet  of  the  Desert.'' 
The  other  is  "Greeting  from  My  Arizona" : 
The  year's  still  young,  friend  and  poet  laureate, 

It's  leap-year  once  ag'in. 
That  gives  an  extra  chance  for  me 

To  make  an  end  o'  bachelor  days ; 
And  may  the  wrinkles  1916  bring  you 

Be  the  sort  loving  smiles  leave  behind, 
An'  the  only  clouds  above  you 

Be  the  fragrant  of  a  loving  kind. 
The  answer  received  is  dated : 

Indianapolis,  Feb.  3,  1916. 
My  Dear  Mr.  Bernetzke : 

I  wish  to  thank  you  for  your  poetical  message  of 
invitation  and  good  wishes  and  to  return  happy  greet- 
ings to  you.  Verv  sincerely  yours, 

JAMES  WHITCOMB  RILEY. 


14  CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS 

A  (Arizona)  Ranger  Toast 

CO  HERE'S  for  the  strenuoufs  life, 
^     The  life  in  the  southwestern  land, 
Where  a  man  who  steals  a  horse  gets  caught 
By  the  peerless  Ranger  gang  (man). 

So  here's  for  rifle  and  horse. 

And  the  spur  and  saddle,  too ; 
And  the  cowboy's  call  "Come,  one  and  all ; 

This  is  the  western  life  for  you." 

So  here's  for  the  long,  white,  dusty  trail 
'Neath  scorching  sun  or  moonldght  pale ; 

Over  the  desert,  hills  and  mountain  trail, 
By  shaft  of  copper  and  gold. 

So  here's  for  the  wooded  hill. 

Where  ithe  bear  and  pumma  roams. 
And  the  wildcat  springs  from  a  leafy  bough. 

And  the  jackal  makes  his  home. 

So  here's  for  the  Arizona  life — 

The  life  that  is  gay  and  free — 
Where  the  sky's  your  roof  and  the  ground  your  floor, 
and  the  whole  southwest  is  an  open  door : 

That  is  the  Me  for  me. 

Broken  Promises 

I7EW  people  realize  the  misery  that  has  been  caused 
in  this  world  to  the  countless  lives  that  have  been 
lost  because  of  broken  promises — all  the  misery  and 
hopelessness  that  has  been  caused  by  a  failure  to  keep 
a  given  word.  In  business,  in  private,  in  fraternal  and 
public  life,  the  greatest  aim  of  every  man  worthy  of  the 
name  is  that  his  word  shall  be  inviolate. 


CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS  15 

Little  Things  of  Life 

IT'S  JUST  the  little  things  of  life— the  little  things 
*  of  life— 

That  make  the  tears  and  sunshine  of  this  earthly  strife  ; 
Little  satisfactions,  little  words  of  cheer, 
Little  deeds  of  kindness,  make  life  worth  living  here. 
Little  words  of  comfort  to  the  weary,  troubled  mind, 
Till  its  murmur  joins  in  concert  with  the  gentle  sum- 
mer wind. 
Though  the  clouds  above  are  big  and  drear  and  black. 
Just  one  little  ray  of  sunlight  will  turn  the  darkness 

back. 
Let  us,  then,  remember  as  we  toil  along  the  way, 
'Tis  not  the   big  things  of  tomorrow,   but   the   small 
things  of  today. 
That  make  life  worth  living  here. 


Do  What  You  Can 

r\0  WHAT  you  can, 
'^  Be  what  you  are ; 
Shine  like  a  gloiw  worm 

If  you  cannot  like  a  star. 
Work  like  a  pulley. 

If  you  cannot  like  a  crane. 
Be  a  wheel-greaser, 

If  you  cannot  drive  the  train. 

Be  the  pliant  oar. 

If  you  cannot  be  the  sail. 
Be  the  little  needle. 

If  you  cannot  be  the  tailor. 
Be  the  cleaning  broom. 

If  you  cannot  be  the  sweeper. 
Be  the  sharpened  sickle, 

If  you  cannot  be  the  reaper. 
But  don't  be  the  wheel-greaser. 

If  you  ought  to  drive  the  train. 


16  CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS 

Old  Burro,  Friend  of  Mine 

^LD  Burro,  friend  of  mine — 

^^     My  pard  of  former  days — 

O'er  desert  plains,  through  canyon  deep, 

WeVe  wiandered  on  our  v  lys ; 

We  never  saw  our  spirit  sag 

Or  lose  the  charm  for  richer  strike, 

That  led  us  far  and  wide. 

Old  Burro,  friend  of  mine — 

WeVe  waded  through  ma.iy  a  stream. 

Faithful  and  brave  you  bore  the  load 

And  served  me,  and  me  alone. 

I  never  saw  you  limp  or  lag. 

Or  lose  the  winding  trail 

That  in  no  man's  land  'twould  lead. 

Old  Burro,  friend  of  mine — 

We've  roamed  around  the  lonely  hills, 

And  oft  beneath  the  starry  skies 

Skpt  together  on  nature's  bocom  sound, 

Dreaming  of  better  days  and  richer  strikes 

That  vanished  with  the  morn/ing  dawn. 

And  we've  never  seen  nor  found. 

But,  old  Burro,  friend  of  mine. 
The  eve  bespeaks  the  night — 
Your  face,  age^gray,  tells  its  tale — 
Mine,  too,  is  growing  white. 
But  soon  from  earth's  abysmal  crag, 
Those  border  mounts  we'll  scale 
And  forever  cross  the  great  divide. 


IV^ANY  a  gem  of  purest  ray  lies  hidden  on  some 
^  *  mountain  top ;  and  many  a  flower  is  blushed  un- 
seen and  wasting  its  fragrance  in  the  desert  air. 


CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS  17 

The  Lonely  Prospector's  Life  in  the  Golden  West 

I  AM  a  lonely  prospector  in  the  West, 
*     I  feel  weary  and  w Jf h  tonight ; 
The  day  Ides  behind  me  in  shadow, 
And  only  the  evening  sky  is  light. 

Gleaming  with  the  sunset  glory 

That  lingers  about  the  golden  west, 

My  poor  heart  is  tired  and  aweary 
And  longs  like  a  child  for  rest. 

Let  me  dream  once  more  of  the  golden  nuggets, 

Of  the  hills  I  in  loneliness  trod, 
When  the  scorching  sun  at  noontide 

Beats  down  on  my  snow-flaked  head. 

For  to  me  life's  seventy-eighth  mile-stone. 

But  a  wasteful  journey  marks ; 
Rough  lies  the  hill  country  before  me, 

Behind  me  the  long  trail  of  a  wasted  life. 

Yet  the  prospector  knows  of  no  sorrow, 
Nor  pain  nor  hardship  that  may  befall ; 

Those  gone  before  him  have  suffered 
A  lonely  plot  on  some  mountain  side. 

But  tell  me  of  a  rich  gold  strike. 

That  falls  on  the  wound  like  a  balm. 

And  my  heart  that  is  bruised  and  broken 
Shall  find  sweet  repose  in  the  golden  west. 


A  KIND  and  gentle  wond  is  to  the  heart  like  the 
*^  sunshine  or  the  rain  to  a  budding  flower,  and 
costs  the  giver  nothing. 


18  CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS 

Come,  Friend,  With  Me 

r^OME,  friend,  with  me! 

^^     We'll  leave  the  hot  city  streets  behind,  | 

And  seek,  just  you  and  I,  a  road  we  know. 
That,  coaxing  on  through  shady  mountain  lanes^^' 

Leads  to  a  bank  where  sparkling  waterrffow. 

Come,  friend,  with  me ! 

For  what  is  to  us  the  world  of  city  life, 

A  little  world  so  filled  with  petty  strife, 
That  has  bowed  you  down  in  the  strife  ? 

Let's  know  for  a  while  the  joy  of  outdoor  life. 

Come,  friend,  with  me ! 

Let  us  forget  for  just  a  little  while 

Tomorrow's  care — the  grief  of  yesterday. 
Today  is  ours ;  so  let  us  enjoy  life — 

Just  you  and  I  and  our  outdoor  friend,  Arizona. 

The  Poet^s  Prayer 

/^  LORD,  give  them  eyes  to  see,  for  blind  are  they 
^-^     Who  stumble  through  life  riches  to  gain. 
They  do  not  hear  nature's  sweet  voice  calling  here, 
The  stream  and  the  birds  that  call  and  say : 
Come,  feast  of  the  nature's  gifts ;  come,  partake 
From  the  Master's  handi>work  that  keeps  the  soul  in 

thrall ; 
Come  into  nature's  freedom,  one  and  all. 
Look !  Listen  !  Come,  it's  free  for  all. 
And  unto  me,  O  Lord,  give  grace 
As  I  wander  through  this  ungrateful  world. 
The  beauty  of  Thy  handiwork  let  me  see. 
And  with  Thy  touch  mine  eyes  open  keep, 
That  I  may  draw  from  nature's  beauty  here 
My  life  and  hope.    O  Lord,  rest  all  alone  in  Thee. 


CACTUS   AND    BLOSSOMS  19 

Some  of  Life's  Ch2uracters 

TTHE  world  is  full  of  people  who  have  the  gift  of  say- 
ing and  doing  puny,  flattering  things.  They  are 
everywhere  found;  men  who  just  seek  to  foster  their 
own  interest.  It  is  a  v^orld  of  hard  work,  selfishness 
and  disappointment.  Thousands  of  people  have  been 
disappointed  by  men  whom  they  have  trusted  and  in 
whom  they  have  put  their  confidence  and  thought  them 
to  be  their  benefactors,  when  they  have  been  used  all 
these  years  as  material  for  feathering  their  nest,  and 
when  they  awaken  and  come  to  realize,  to  their  sorrow, 
the  little  chicks  have  already  been  hatched  and  they  are 
left  out  in  the  cold  to  shift  for  themselves  in  the  rainy 
days. 

Campaign  Letters  I  Have  Not  Sent 

HAVE  written  them — keen  and  sarcastic  and  long, 
With  righteously  wrathful  intent. 
Not  a  stroke  undeserved,  nor  a  censure  too  strong; 
And  some,  alas !  some  of  them  went ! 

I  have  written  them,  challenging,  eager  to  fight. 

All  hot  with  a  merited  ire ; 
And  some  of  them  chanced  to  be  kept  over  night, 

And  mailed  the  next  day — in  the  fire ! 

Ah !  blessed  the  letters  that  happily  go 

On  errands  of  kindliness  bent. 
But  much  of  my  peace  and  my  fortune  I  owe 

To  the  campaign  letters  I  never  have  sent ! 

For  Arizona 

V/OUR  laws  are  the  greatest  and  best  of  the  nations, 
^       Your  care  for  old  pioneers  there's  none  can  outdo ; 
The  bad  man  with  his  evils  you've  banished  forever, 
And  as  a  result  all  states  now  bow  to  you. 

So  may  your  bright  star  in  the  west  shine  forever, 
For  well  have  you  earned  its  place  among  the  rest. 
No  longer  a  hissing  and  by-word — youVe  risen. 
And  all  do'wn  the  ages  shall  men  point  to  you,  Arizona. 


20  CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS 

Rustle  For  Your  Own 

A  RE  you  fumin'  and  fretin', 
^^     Are  yoiu  still  blue  and  forlorn? 
Or  are  you  hustlin'  and  forgettin' 
That  bad  luck  was  ever  born  ? 

Don't  you  know  the  road  to  fortune 
Is  to  plug  and  plod  along? 

Don't  you  know  if  you're  bed-ridden, 
You  are  not  where  you  belong? 

For  your  own  sake  stop  bawling, 
Get  out  and  do  some  howling ; 

You'll  have  a  cap  without  a  feather 
If  you  only  warm  a  chair. 

Stop  that  knockin' — ^^be  a  booster — 
There's  I'ots  of  room  in  this  liand, 

Come  and  rustle,  get  a  home ; 
Pay  on  the  installment  plan. 

Times  are  good,  improvin'  steady. 
Save  your  coin  and  be  ready ; 

Get  yours  in  shape  for  "biz" — 

Build  your  own  when  you're  ready. 

Don't  be  kickin'  and  a-cussin'. 
Just  because  Smith  bought  a  home; 

If  you  want  to  get  your  own, 
You've  got  to  do  some  rustlin'. 

You  must  get  out  and  rustle. 

And  hustle,  and  bustle,  and  tustle. 

"Make  good,  of  could" — get  a  place 
What  you  can  call  your  own. 

,  Drop  that  fool  talk  of  ''luck'' ; 

'Get  a  grip  on  your  pluck  and  buck. 
Hit  the  trail  and  don't  swerve 

From  the  path  you're  going  to  follow. 


CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS  21 

A  Nature's  Prayer 

O  UN  and  moon,  shine  upon  me ; 

^     Make  glad  my  days  and  clear  my  nights ! 

Earth,  whose  child  I  am, 

Grant  me  thy  patience  here. 

Heaven,  whose  heir  I  shall  be, 

Keep  burning  my  hope  in  thee. 

Your  steadfastness  I  need,  O  hills ! 

O,  rain,  thy  kindness  I  adore ! 

Snow,  keep  me  pure; 

Oh,  fire,  teach  me  thy  pride ! 

From  you,  ye  winds  I  ask  your  blitheness. 

And  a  whispering  message.  Oh,  trees. 

From  thee  I  pray. 

Oh,  flo'wers,  thy  love  I  beseech  of  thee 
While  journeying  here  below. 
The  beauty  of  thy  handiwork  Almighty 
Inspire  me  to  sing  on  earth. 
And  when  life's  done  here  below, 
Oh,  God,  grant  me  to  sing  thy  praises 
In  the  other  world  beyond  the  skies, 
Is  a  poet's  humble  prayer. 

Why  Not  Cheer  Them? 

'T'HERE  are  heroes  with  wan  faces. 
Who  uplift  their  fallen  brothers ; 
Heroes  who,  in  humble  places, 

Labor  for  the  love  of  others. 
Why  not  pause  sometimes  to  cheer  them 

For  the  good  deeds  they  have  done ; 
Why  not  wdllingly  revere  them 

For  their  patience  and  their  zeal, 
While  yet  their  ears  can  hear  them. 

Before  it  is  too  late. 

^9  ^9  <^ 

IF  YOU  are  too  busy  to  notice  the  sweet  melodies  of 
■'•  the  birds  and  the  different  tints  of  the  wild  flowers 
once  in  a  while,  you  are  working  entirely  too  hard. 


22  CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS 

Look  Pleasant 

WE  CANNOT,  of  course,  all  be  handsome, 
^^       And  it's  hard  for  us  all  to  be  good ; 
We  are  sure  now  and  then  to  be  lonely, 
And  we  don't  always  do  as  we  should. 

To  be  patient  is  not  always  easy, 
To  be  cheerful  is  much  harder  still ; 

But  at  least  we  can  always  be  pleasant 
If  we  make  up  our  minds  that  we  will. 

And  it  pays  every  time  to  be  kindly, 
Although  you  feel  worried  and  blue ; 

Smile  at  the  world  and  look  cheerful — 
The  world  will  soon  smile  back  at  you. 

So  try  to  brace  up  and  look  pleasant, 

No  matter  how  low  you  are  down ; 
Good  humor  is  always  contagious, 

But  you  banish  your  friends  when  you  frown. 

Chiistmastide 

Q  CHRISTMASTIDE,  O  sweet  delight,  more  than 

^^  human  bliss, 

With  her  to  live  that  ever  loving  is ; 

To  hear  her  speak  whose  words  are  so  divine. 

That  she  by  them,  as  they  in  her  are  graced ; 

Those  looks  to  view  that  feast  the  viewer's  eye, 

How  blest  is  he  that  may  yet  live  on  Christmastide. 

Such  Christmas  love  as  this  the  golden  times  did  know, 

When  all  did  reap,  yet  none  took  care  to  sow  ; 

Such  love  as  this  an  endless  Christmas  makes, 

And  all  distaste  from  frail  affection  takes. 

So  loved,  so  blessed,  is  my  beloved,  am  I ; 

Which  still  our  eyes  may  see  another  Christmastide. 


CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS  23 

Arizona,  An  Ole  Sweetheart  o^  Mine 

[Y  FRIENDS,  don't  tell  nobody, 


M^ 


But  I've  got  a  valentine 
From  a  charmin'  little  lady, 

That's  an  ole  sweetheart  o'  mine. 

She  isn't  young  no  longer. 

But  she's  sweet  as  she  can  be, 

An'  I'm  lucky  to  have  had  her 
Growin'  old  along  with  me. 

Makes  no  diff'rence  what  my  mood  is. 
She  won't  fail  to  understan' ; 

There's  a  soothin'  warmth  o'  friendship 
In  her  touch  upon  my  han'. 

So  I've  chose  the  sweetest  o'  them. 
An'  I've  loved  her  best  o'  all, 

For  a  valentine,  little  lady. 

My  dear  sweetheart  Arizona,  o'  mine. 


This  Is  the  Land 

rORGET  all  the  old  and  welcome  the  new ! 
*       The  future  is  bright  and  true ! 
Plough  for  the  beautiful  dream  of  the  new — 
Build  the  land ! 

Changeless  the  past,  but  the  fu-ture  is  ours, 

Open  for  us  to  take  part. 
Fruit  of  our  purposes,  proof  of  our  powers. 

Work  for  yours  now ! 

All  we  desire  is  for  us  to  create ; 

Here  in  our  hands,  here  is  the  chance ! 
This  is  the  day  that  is  never  too  late, 

This  is  the  land. 


24  CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS 

Life's  Friendly  Smile 

T    IFE'S  friendly  smile  is  like  a  sweet  spring, 

Gushed  forth  from  granite  rocks ; 
The  bow  of  promise  spanned  its  glistening  drops, 
A  silvery  rill,  from  bondage  free  to  wander  on  to  its 
life's  way,  the  Sea. 

Thus  some  innocent,  friendly  smile. 
Crowning  a  world  of  death  and  sin. 
Blossoms  into  beauty  of  soul  through  love 
Sheds  like  the  sunlight  from  above. 

A  friendly  smile  is  just  like  sunshine; 
It  freshens  all  the  day ; 
It  tips  the  peaks  of  life  with  light 
And  drives  the  clouds  away. 

And  the  thing  that  goes  the  farthest 
Toward  making  life  worth  while — 
Costs  the  least  and  does  the  most — 
Is  just  a  friendly  smile. 

And  fulfilling  the  promises  of  the  rill, 
Tho'  it  may  wander  whither  at  will; 
At  last  it  reaches  the  open  sea, 
And  reaches  the  sea  of  Eternity — 
Just  true,  a  life's  friendly  smile. 

Love  Means  Service 

T  OVE  means  service.  Here  is  where  it  shines.  Self- 
ishness  implies  one  person.  There  can  be  no  love 
without  at  least  two  persons.  The  selfish  man  centers 
everything  upon  himself.  He  who  loves  seeks  others. 
So  the  man  that  loves  his  neighbor  will  serve  his  neigh- 
bor. He  will  help  him  and  sacrifice  for  him,  if  neces- 
sary. This  is  not  a  burden.  He  delights  in  it.  He 
cannot  be  happy  without  it.  His  heart  seeks  other 
hearts  and  only  as  it  finds  them  in  loving  service  does 
it  find  its  own  satisfaction. 


CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS  25 

Boost  for  "Yavapai" 

CITTING  on  a  bench  out  in  the  park  one  evening, 
^     In  the  beautiful  city  a  mile  on  high, 
When  tht  full  moon  was  up  in  the  clear  blue  sky. 
Nearby  sat  a  couple,  talking  o'er  its  wondrous  beauty, 
And  they  wondered  why  so  few  people  visit  here 
In  this  wonderful  clime  of  good  old  Yavapai. 
If  they  only  knew  what  is  good  for  all  of  you, 
You  wouldn't  forget  so  soon  to  boost  for  Prescott. 

If  you  only  knew  what  is  good  for  Prescott, 
You  would  have  'this  town  a-booming  very  soon ; 
For  if  everyone  would  boost  like  yoti  and  I, 
Prescott  would  prosper,  though  the  living  is  high. 
If  you  only  know  what  is  good  for  Yavapai, 
You'd  not  spend  you  money  all  away  from  home ; 
You'd  stay  in  gay  old  Prescott,  with  her  pine-topped 

hills— 
If  you  only  knew  what  I  know,  you'd  boost  for  Arizona. 

If  all  you  would  pull  together  for  Arizona, 

And  let  people  know  ho'w  many  shady  brooks  you  have. 

Everybody  in  this  land,  'Trescott"  would  then  be  in 

demand. 
You'd  work  to  full  capacity  and  more ; 
Then  the  merchant  and  the  hotels  would  be  busy, 
And  prosperity  would  your  every  effort  crown. 
Every  store  room  would  be  filled,  new  ones  you  would 

have  to  build ; 
There  wouldn't  be  an  empty  house  in  town ! 

If  you  only  knew  what  is  good  for  all  of  you 
You'd  pull  for  ''Yavapai  and  Arizona." 


A  GOOD  many  people  expect  to  get  something  for 
nothing;  but  they  are  nowhere  near  as  numerous 
as  those  who  get  nothing  for  something. 


2(>  CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS 

Courtesy  Has  a  Big  Value 

/^CURTESY  may  seem  a  lost  art  to  some,  or  little 
^^    worth  bringing  back,  but  it  is  not. 

Courtesy  is  one  of  the  old-time  arts  that  dies  only 
with  the  man  or  the  business,  for  the  rise  of  many  a 
man  and  business  has  started  with  it. 

Emerson  once  wrote:  '"Give  a  boy  address  and 
accomplishments,  and  you  give  the  master  of  palaces 
and  fortunes  wherever  he  goes." 

Courtesy  is  of  more  value  to  a  man  than  a  thou- 
sand letters  of  written  recommendation.  Courtesy  is 
an  asset  of  more  power  than  money  or  influence. 
Many  presidents  of  corporations  owe  their  career  to 
courtesy.  Courtesy  lightens  the  burdens  of  toil ;  cour- 
tesy demands  respect.  Courtesy  is  a  little  brother  to 
opportunity,  and  follows  her  around  through  the  busy 
hours  of  the  day,  and  at  the  end  leads  to  friendship. 

Take  the  courteous  office  boy,  the  courteous  clerk, 
the  courteous  stenographer,  the  courteous  ticket 
agent,  the  courteous  waiter,  the  courteous  manager 
and  the  courteous  leader  of  heavy  tasks — whoever 
heard  of  such  a  one  not  growing  or  not  climbing  into 
greater  things?  Think  over  these  truths,  for  it  is  tre- 
mendously worth  while  to  take  time  to  be  courteous 
in  this  busy,  selfish,  bustling  world  of  ours. 
The  man  who  scatters  sunshine  is  the  man  who  gets 

the  boon; 
He  makes  a  lot  more  friendships  than  the  one   who 

scatters  gloom. 
If  he  meets  his  next-door  neighbor,  he  can  meet  him 

with  a  smile ; 
And  the  man  who  is  a  frowner  will  be  beaten  by  a  mile. 

A  Blessing 

'X'HE  greatest  blessing  that  can  come  to  an  organ- 
ization — political,   fraternal  or  otherwise — 'is  har- 
mony among  its  members. 


CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS  27 

Christmas  Night 

Q  CHRISTMAS  night! 

^^      We  sing  tonight  the  Christmas  chimes, 

Of  Chnistmas  anniversary  chimes — 

The  holy  chimes, 

The  golden  chimes. 
The  mellowed  tones  of  golden  chimes 
And  sweet  for  Thee  of  whom  we  sing. 
May  all  the  bells  of  Concord  ring 

The  sacred  chimes, 

The  golden  chimes, 
As  they  have  rung  in  olden  times. 
May  warm  love  greet  you  when  the  chimes 
Shall  ring  again  on  Christmias  night. 


The  Fruits  of  Our  Labor 

A  S  IT  was  in  the  days  of  old,  that  figs  did  not  grow 
**'  fro'm  cactus,  the  man  who  expects  to  reap  figs 
has  always  had  to  plant  figs,  and  he  always  will.  But 
there  seems  to  be  hope  eternal  in  the  human  breast 
that  by  some  yet  undiscovered  process  our  particular 
figs  will  grow  on  almost  any  kind  of  a  desert  bush. 
So  we  go  on  seeding  with  the  seed  nearest  at  hand 
and  easiest  to  get,  and  in  after  years  sit  down  and 
wonder  why  the  crop  isn't  just  what  we  wanted.  But 
if  you  do  your  part.  Fate  or  Fortune,  or  whatever 
name  by  which  you  choose  to  call  it — ^God  will  do  the 
rest;  but  always  and  forever  keep  in  your  mind: 

Every  'dime  has  a  plowin'  time  an'  plantin' — 
Sunny  days  and  rainy  skies ; 

An'  a  steady  hoein'  time. 

Before  the  harvest  time  draws  nigh  ; 

For  the  apple  that  you  climb  for 
Tastes  the  sweetest  in  the  end. 


28  CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS 

Arizona,  God's  Country 

I    ET  US  lift  up  the  voices,  from  river  to  sea; 
^^     To  Americans  all,  far  and  near. 
One  call,  as  it  throbs  o'er  the  land  of  the  free — 
"Arizona,  God's  country,  for  you  and  me." 

On  deserts,  down  valleys,  where  great  rivers  run, 
And  far,  where  the  mountains  rise  gray, 

Ring  it  on  to  the  land  of  the  setting  sun — 
"Arizona,  God's  country,  for  you  and  me." 

Sing  of  that  beautiful  land,  in  that  soft  clime, 

Of  the  crimson  evening  tide ; 
Just  for  one  day,  under  the  clear  blue  sky, 

In  "Arizona,  God's  country,  for  you  and  me." 


School  Days 

CCHOOL  days  have  come  again, 
^     School  days  have  come  again, 

The  happiest  of  the  year; 
A  jolly  lot  of  boys  and  girls 

Have  come  from  far  and  near. 
We  represent  the  country. 

We  represent  the  town ; 
And  you  know  by  the  noise 

It's  "us"  when  we're  around. 
Because  we  come  back  to  town, 
For  school  days  again  have  come. 

We  meet  for  education, 

And  iwe're  goin'  to  need  it,  too. 
Our  nation's  destination 

Is  "up  to"  me  and  you. 
We  come  for  inspiration. 

And  we'll  make  things  hum. 
While  summer's  heat  is  over 

And  school  days  again  have  come. 


G^'CTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS       -  29 

An  Arizona  Toast 

jV/fY  DARLING  Arizona,  here's  to  you; 
^^'^     Your  worth  is  known  from  sea  to  sea. 
As  your  worth  is  true,  your  clime's  my  clime; 
Your  style  s  my  style,  and  your  ensign's  blue. 
Oh,  my  darling  Arizona,  I'm  for  you. 

The  Cactus  Giant 

'T'HERE  grows  a  tree  within  our  State, 

Majestic,  tall,  of  desert  fame; 
Its  home  is  in  the  sun-kissed  cl'ime, 
Well  known  to  all  as  cactus  giant. 

It  rears  its  crown  and  tops  them  all ; 
'Tis  life-saver  of  the  desert  called. 
The  first  to  greet  the  traveler's  eye, 
And  its  beauty  charms  the  passerby. 

On  its  limbs  the  thrush  makes  its  nest, 
There  to  break  the  desert  hush. 
Spning-time  brings  forth  its  lilies  fair, 
And  crowns  the  giant  of  the  desert  there. 

Within  our  southern  valley  great — 
The  sunniest  clime  of  any  state — 
A  cactus  forest  was  reclaimed, 
Named  by  its  founders  ''Cactus  Park". 

It  took  its  rank  and  held  its  place. 
Long  before  the  pale-face  came. 
The  record  of  the  past  gives  proof 
Of  noble  deeds  to  human  needs. 

Oh,  Cactus  Giant !    Oh,  Cactus  Giant ! 
Close  to  our  heart  your  name's  entwined. 
Your  home  is  on  the  scorching  plains, 
i  As  life-saver  and  friend  to  man. 


30  CACTUS   AND   BLOSSOMS 

Nature's  Beauty  Helps  to  Form  Character 

'X'ELL  what  you  have  seen  as  you  have  traveled  over 
*     the  world  and  come  in  touch  with  nature  and  with 
human  life.     In  'what  way  has  it  contributed  to  your 
individual  character  and  welfare? 

To  be  able  to  see  the  beauties  of  nature,  to  enjoy 
the  glories  of  the  mountains,  or  to  become  enraptured 
with  the  highest  music  and  the  'wonders  of  nature  s 
painting,  is  to  call  forth  those  tastes  which  help  to  form 
character.  It  is  a  glorious  thing  to  see  God  in  His 
nature  world,  to  hear  His  voice  in  the  ripple  of  the 
stream,  in  the  sighing  of  the  trees,  in  the  music  of  the 
song  bird,  in  the  rolling  of  the  thunder,  in  the  roaring 
of  the  sea,  in  the  chirping  of  the  crickets,  in  the  dawn 
and  sunset  beauty,  and  among  the  plants  of  the  wild 
flowers. 

The  man  who  has  no  spiritual  vision  and  cannot  get 
in  touch  with  the  beauties  of  nature,  is  worse  off  than 
a  blind  man. 

More  Brotherhood  of  Man  Is  the  Cry  Today 

IT  IS  not  a  grand,  magnificent  mansion, 

'■'     It  is  not  a  new  furnished  room; 

It  is  not  a  set  of  cushions. 

Or  a  marble  front  will  tell. 

It  is  none  of  these  things,  my  brother, 

That  we  are  in  need  of  most  today ; 

But  the  good  old-fashioned  religion, 

And  more  power  of  brotherhood  of  man 

Is  the  cry  in  our  midst  today. 

In  this  beautiful  sunny  land 

We  need  more  today. 

Peace  Thought 

/^  OD  grant  that  I  may  live  to  see  the  day 
^-*     When  all  revenge  in  mankind  shall  cease  to  be ; 
And  all  nations'  hatred  shall  be  banished  from  earth, 
And  a  lasting  peace  reign  among  all  tongues  and 
creeds. 


CA'CTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS  31 

Don't  Feel  Blue 

IF  TIMES  are  hard  and  you  feel  "blue/' 

Think  of  the  others  worrying,  too. 
Just  'because  your  trials  are  many, 
Don't  think  the  rest  of  us  haven't  any. 
Life  is  made  of  smiles  and  tears, 
Joys  and  sorrows  mixed  with  fears ; 
And  though  to  you  it  seems  one-sided, 
Trouble  is  pretty  well  divided. 
If  we  could  look  in  every  heart 
We'd  find  that  each  one  has  its  part ; 
And  those  who  travel  fortune's  road 
Sometimes  carry  the  biggest  load. 


I 


If  He  Is  Your  Friend 

F  HE  gives  you  recognition 

When  your  clothes  are  patched  and  torn ; 
If  he  comes  to  see  and  cheer  you 

When  you  are  lying  sick  and  worn ; 
If  he  takes  your  hand  and  lifts  you  up 

When  you're  on  the  downward  track; 
If  he  says  the  same  things  to  your  face 

That  he  says  behind  your  back; 
If  when  odds  are  strong  against  you, 

He  fights  for  you  to  the  end, 
Bind  him  tightly  to  your  heart, 

For  that  man  surely  is  your  friend. 


Meters  Everywhere 

LJ  ELP  me  to  get  away  from  those  meters :  Gas 
^  *  meters !  Electric  meters !  Water  meters !  Steam 
meters  !  Time  meters  !  Speed  meters  !  Even  cold- 
storage  meters !  Lord,  how  they  affect  the  cost  of  liv- 
ing !  Van  meters ;  how  they  affect  the  cost  of  loving ! 
I  trust  they  won't  invent  air  meters  in  this  balmy  clime 
of  ours ! 


32  CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS 

San  Xavier  Mission  Fathers  Were  Trail  Blazers 

HTHE  old  mission  fathers  of  the  early  Padres  in  our 
*•  state  were  the  ones  who  blazed  the  trails  of  civil- 
ization in  this  new  and  old  land  of  ours.  They  were 
the  farthest  removed  from  leaners;  they  were  a  devo- 
tional race  of  men,  and  knew  no  such  words  as  fail  in 
the  upbuilding  of  the  desert  land  and  the  erection  of 
the  temples  on  the  lonely  desert,  which  we  still  have 
with  us.  And  it  is  due  to  their  gallant  efforts  that  the 
civilization  in  the  Southwest  was  won  today,  and  in 
all  their  forward  movements  there  still  stands  a  cross 
in  memory  to  the  good  old  Padres  and  pioneers. 

When  San  Xavier  Mission  Was  New 

CPBAKI'NG  to  an  old  ''San  Xavier  mission  father," 

^     Of  his  Padres  brave  and  true, 

Of  the  times  when  pale-faces  were  few, 

When  this  old  mission  was  new. 
"They're  gone,"  he  sadly  murmurs. 

And  his  eyes  fill  with  tears. 
As  he  tells  of  good  old  "San  Xavier," 

As  it  was  in  former  years. 

He  may  tell  some  doubtful  stories. 

But  the  truth  I  won't  gainsay; 
For  good  old  San  Xavier  was  a  haven — 

Yes,  a  retreat — ^in  her  day. 
They're  gone,  these  good  old  Padres, 

Some  are  sleeping  'neath  the  dew ; 
A  few  remain  yet  to  remind  us 

That  once  this  mission  was  new. 

Honor  to  the  good  old  Padre — 

Let  his  memory  ever  stay ; 
Now  he's  vanished,  gone  forever — 

"Grand  old  Father"  of  yesterday. 
He  who  ventured  o'er  the  desert — 

Blazed  the  trail  for  me  and  you — 
Has  gone  to  rest  on  yonder  mesa 

Since  "San  Xavier  Mission"  was  new. 


5* 


3  C/3 

O  ^ 

^  o 

5  > 

o  <; 


3 


CO 

o 


CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS  33 

February  Month  Is  One  of  Awakening 

TTHE  month  of  February  has  its  bright  sunny  days 
of  charm  and  inspiration,  of  hope  and  awakening, 
more  than  any  other  month  in  the  year,  in  this  land  of 
cloudless  skies. 

One  cannot  help  but  pause  in  the  mild  rays  of  the 
sun  and  view  the  green  fields  and  the  rows  of  hedges 
along  the  highways  and  admire  the  little  brooklet  rip- 
pling on  its  way,  on  whose  edges  the  spring  violets 
'bloom  in  profusion  and  charm  the  passerby. 

The  birds  from  the  northland  that  have  come  to 
spend  the  winter  in  this  golden  sunshine,  seem  to  feel 
just  the  same.  Their  notes  are  as  clear  as  the  clear 
air.  The  robin  red-breast  is  enjoying  his  feast  on  the 
palm  'seed,  and  is  joyously  calling  to  its  mate  to  hurry 
up  and  get  some,  too. 

The  bluebirds  in  large  numbers  are  looking  for 
their  feed  in  the  green  alfalfa  meadows,  while  the 
meadow  lark  sings  its  little  song  on  the  fence  post  to 
the  passers.  What  a  glad  and  beautiful  world  this 
looks  like,  as  one  drives  or  rides  along  the  valleys  and 
over  the  foothills. 


I 


A  True  Heart  I  Wauit  For  a  Friend 


IT'S  NOT  the  heart  with  lust  for  gold  I  want  for  a 

*  friend, 

For  gold  that  vanishes  won't  buy  the  true  heart  of  a 

friend ; 
Nor  will  mere  length  of  a  fortune  spoil  the  sincere 

heart  of  a  friend, 
Nor  break  the  ties  of  friendship  strong  or  lay  it  low 

to  die. 
For  what  is  within  the  heart  of  man  that's  what  makes 

life  fair — 
Just  honest,  kind  and  on  the  square — 
That  is  the  kind  of  a  heart  I  want  for  a  friend. 


34  CACTUS   AND   BLOSSOMS 

Cause  for  Thanksgiving 

TTHANKSGIVING  ought  to  mean  much  to  everyone 
*'  who  lives  in  this  beautiful,  sunny  climate.  Even 
the  least  fortunate  of  our  people  enjoy  blessings  of 
which  their  forefathers  could  hardly  dream,  and  look- 
ing back  over  the  years,  what  a  great  transformation 
has  marked  our  advancement  through  Indian  days  and 
old  Quantrell's  wild  raids;  through  great  tribulations 
have  we  reached  the  present  attainment.  But  it  is 
through  such  fighting,  enduring  and  suffering  that  our 
great  Cactus  state  has  made  its  progress. 

Years  ago  sickness  and  pestilence  meant  something 
very  different  from  their  present  significance.  Anaes- 
thetics, modern  surgery,  cleanliness,  ventilation  and 
good  care  work  daily  wonders  for  rich  and  poor  alike, 
which  were  unheard  of  only  a  little  while  ago. 

It  is  not  long  since  in  western  civilized  countries 
that  more  than  a  hundred  crimes  were  punishable  with 
death.  Shameless  technicalities  meant  more  than  jus- 
tice, mercy  and  kindness.  The  law  of  today  may  be  far 
short  of  what  'it  should  be,  but  it  is  unspeakably  better 
than  the  law  of  yesterday.  For  education,  health  and 
material  well  being;  for  justice,  freedom  and  peace,  all 
men  and  women  ought  to  render  humble  and  hearty 
thanksgiving. 

And  it  ought  to  be  all  the  more  fervent  because 
along  with  it  go  hearts  full  of  sympathy  for  other  peo- 
ple from  whom  cruel  war  has  taken  these  blessings  for 
a  season. 

Noiw  let  us  make  the  keynote  of  Thanksgiving  day, 
not  gratitude  that  we  have  received  blessings  of  which 
others  have  been  deprived,  that  we  have  escaped  dis- 
asters which  have  been  visited  on  others,  but  that  our 
rich  blessings  give  us  power  to  be  of  service  to  other 
sufferers,  and  let  us  remember  that  he  who  possesses 
peace  of  mind  is  blessed ;  he  who  is  endowed  With  wis- 
dom is  blessed ;  he  who  merits  the  love  of  a  little  child 
or  the  friendship  of  a  dog  is  blessed ;  he  who  loses  all 
else  and  maintains  health  is  blessed. 

So  stop  and  count  your  blessings  one  by  one.  Even 
the  smallest  of  these  is  for  us  to  be  thankful. 


CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS  35 

Arizona  Nuggets 

DRAGGING  is  always  excusable  when  you  brag  of 
^  your  home  town. 

•"jC        5jC        5j%        #j%        ^^ 

The  fellow  who  thinks  only  of  self  makes  a  poor 
subject  for  the  thoughts  of  others. 

){*      ^(c      sfc      ^Ic      ^Sc 

No  matter  what  the  weather  may  be,  you  can  always 
have  sunshine  in  the  heart. 

How  often  some  knotty  problem  has  been  solved 
with  the  aid  of  an  honest  and  trusty  friend.  But  the 
most  steady  friend  is  our  dear  mother.  How  many 
times  have  her  cheering  words  inspired  us  to  "try 
again.'' 

We  all  know  it  does  not  appeiar  more  often  in  poli- 
tics than  it  does  in  society,  this  civic  hypocrisy ;  you  all 
know  the  man  and  the  woman  who  tells  you  in  scan- 
dalized wh/ispers  of  so  and  so's  shortcomings,  and  then 
dissolves  into  joyous  smiles  when  the  fellow  comes 
along. 

^      ^      :^      ^      ^ 

The  greatest  joy  in  our  lives  is  the  inspiration  of 
our  activity;  the  balm  for  the  thorns  that  have  been 
strewn  along  our  path  is  the  satisfaction  that  comes  to 
us  in  knowing  the  good  deeds  we  have  accomplished 
among  our  fellow  beings  in  the  past,  in  that  little  world 
that  surrounds  us  while  traveling  on  life's  journey.  For 
what  greater  joy  can  come  to  a  man  than  the  knowl- 
edge that  his  efforts  have  helped  others,  have  helped 
them  overcome  some  obstacle  that  has  stood  between 
them  and  a  greater  success. 

H<     H<     5{s     H«     :{s 

Have  you  an  American  flag?  Look  at  it  occasion- 
ally and  you  will  become  a  more  loyal  citizen  by  so 
doing. 


36  CACTUS   AND   BLOSSOMS 

To  My  Successor 

LI  ERE  is  a  toast  to  my  successor,  a  fellow  who's 

**  going  to  follow  me ; 

The  feribw  who's  going  to  take  my  place  when  it's 

time  for  me  to  go 
I've  wondered  what  kind  of  a  chap  he'll  be,  and  I've 

wished  I  could  take  his  hand, 
Just  to  whisper,  'T  wish  you  well,  old  chap,"  in  a  way 

he'd  understand. 
I'd  like  to  give  him  the  cheering  word  that  I've  longed 

at  times  to  hear ; 
I'd  like  to  give  him  the  warm  hand-clasp,  when  never 

a  friend  seems  near. 
I've  learned  my  knowledge  by  sheer  hard  work,  and  I 

wish  I  could  pass  it  on 
To  the  fellow  who'll  come  to  take  my  place  when  it's 

time  for  me  to  go. 
Will  he  see  all  the  sad  mistakes  I've  made  and  note 

lall  the  battles  lost,  or 
Will  he  ever  guess  of  the  tears  they  caused  or  the 

heartaches  which  they  cost,  or 
Will  he  gaze  through  the  failures  and  fruitless  toil  to 

the  underlying  plan, 
And  catch  a  gliimpse  of  the  real  intent  and  the  heart 

of  a  vanquished  man? 
I  dare  hope  he  may  pause  some  day  as  he  toils  as  I 

have  wrought. 
And  gain  some  strength  for  his  weary  task  from  the 

battles  which  I  have  fought. 
But  I've  only  the  task  itself  to  leave  with  the  cares 

for  him  to  face. 
And  never  a  cheering  iword  may  speak  to  the  fellow 

who'll  take  my  place. 
Then  here's  to  your  success  old  chap,  when  you'll  get 

into  that  place; 
I  leave  an  unfinished  task  for  you,  but  God  knows 

how  I  tried. 
I've  dreamed  my  dreams  as  all  men  do,  but  never  a 

one  came  true; 


CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS  37 

And  my  prayer  today  is  that  all  the  dreams  may  be 

realized  by  you. 
And  when,  at  the  end  of  your  term,  we'll  meet  some 

day  in  the  realm, 
You'll  know  my  clasp  as  I  take  your  hand  and  gaze 

in  your  tired  face. 
Then  all  our  failures  will  be  success,  in  the  light  of 

the  new-found  dawn ; 
So  Fm  wishing  you  well,  old  chap,  when  you'll  take 

my  place  when  I  am  gone. 

New  Year's  Time 

I7AIR  hands  may  set  the  New  Year's  clock, 
*       What  time  we  never  can  forget; 
No  key  the  future  can  unlock, 
No  hand  the  clock  of  death  may  set. 

The  New  Year's  time, 

The  happy  time. 
New  times,  new  favors  and  new  joys 
Be  wove  for  you  all  with  threads  of  gold. 
Who  vows  begin  and  vows  renew 
And  happy  year  of  life  review. 

May  love's  sweet  times 

At  all  her  times 
Greet  you  from  far  and  wide. 
Where'er  life's  tent  of  peace  may  be. 

A  happy  year  for  thee 

May  <it  be  for  thee, 
'Till  life  shall  end,  and  after  life, 
Eternal  bliss  beyond  the  skies, 

I  wish  you  all 

On  New  Year's  time. 
@^     ^9     ^9 

YT/ITH  grateful  memory  of  the  past,  we  face  the 
^^  future  years  with  every  confidence,  believing 
always  that  the  true  measure  of  life's  success  is  not 
found  in  the  business  world  alone,  but  largely  in  the 
great  joy  of  friendshfip  building. 


38  CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS 

A  Bed  of  Vialete 

A  S  I  WAS  sitting  on  a  bench  in  the  court  house 
^"^  park  one  Sunday,  in  God's  beautiful  sunshine,  en- 
joying the  songs  and  twitter  of  the  birds  with  heart's 
content,  and  as  I  observed  the  beauty  of  nature,  I  could 
not  help  but  notice  a  group  of  ladies  leaning  over  the 
iron  fence  and  exclaim :  "What  a  beautiful  bed  of  vio- 
lets!  They  are  just  lovely."  This 'little  bed  of  violets 
has  had  more  admiration  from  the  ladies  of  our  city 
and  the  tourist  world  in  the  spring  of  the  year  than 
anything  else,  and  is  worthy  of  admiiration.  Right  at 
the  present  time  it  is  in  full  bloom  and  is  a  mass  of 
violet  blue  basking  in  the  sunshine,  and  spreads  its 
fragrance  to  the  passersby.  It  was  a  little  bed  at  the 
same  spot  sixteen  years  ago,  when  I  first  saw  it  there, 
and  has  grown  to  a  goodly  size.  It  grows  almost 
without  a  caretaker,  except  a  little  water  occasionally. 
Its  beauty  and  charming  sight  have  carried  many  a 
message  of  love  to  the  passerby,  or  thrilled  some 
lonely  heart,  though  shattered  life's  hopes  may  be. 

It  never  fails  to  inform  us  labout  the  middle  of  Feb- 
ruary that  spring  is  again  at  hand,  when  its  little  buds 
begin  to  show  their  little  heads.  Probably  few  realize 
what  an  important  part  the  violet  plays  among  society, 
young  and  old.  It  is  in  demand  everywhere  when  in 
season.  It  reminds  one  again  of  the  boyhood  days, 
when  we  used  to  ramble  through  the  woods  together 
with  our  first  sweetheart,  picking  wild  violets  in  the 
familiar  haunts.  It  carries  inspiration  that  words  are 
too  harsh  to  communicate.  It  touches  heart  chords 
like  sweet  music  and  brings  back  memories  of  glad 
days  gone  by,  of  which  we  love  to  think  when  we 
thimk  of  love. 

And  it  brings  back  that  longing 

To  sit  again  once  ,more. 
Beneath  the  shady  willow. 

Where  birds  pour  out  their  song; 


CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS  39 

Beside  the  babling-  brooklet, 

Singing  its  way  along, 
Where  violets  sweet  with  perfume 

Attract  you  and  me. 
Ah,  there  could  I  rest  forever. 

With  the  sweetheart  to  be. 


What^s  In  the  Heart  Will  Appear  in  the  Face 

YOU  cannot  reap  joy  for  yourself  out  of  the  pain  of 
•■'  others.  You  cannot  harvest  peace  out  of  the  dis- 
quiet of  your  fellows.  You  cannot  build  right  on  the 
foundation  of  wrong.  Life  coimes  from  the  inside  out, 
and  not  froim  the  outside  in.  Life  radiates ;  it  cannot  be 
absorbed.  What  you  are  inside  that  you  will  ultimately 
be  outside,  and  you  cannot  evade  it  or  avoid  it.  If 
there  is  a  canker  at  yo*ur  heart  it  will  eat  its  way  out, 
and  you  shall  in  no  way  stop  it  except  by  cutting  out 
its  very  roots.  You  cannot  be  honest  with  the  rest  of 
the  world  until  you  are  honest  with  yourself. 


Let  Nature  Comfort  You 

IT  IS  difficult  for  many  of  us  to  find  anything  but  self- 
ishness and  sadness  in  this  world  of  city  life,  and 
one  would  be  less  than  human  to  have  any  other  deep 
mood  now  untinged  by  the  thought  of  war. 

Yet  nature  is  not  selfish,  nor  indifferent ;  she  is  the 
calm  and  healing  mother  for  us  all.  Bone  of  her  bone, 
flesh  of  her  flesh,  she  has  made  us  and  nourished  us 
ever  kindly ;  and  when  human  selfishness  in  a  bustling 
city  life,  trying  to  overwhelm  you,  find  some  quiet  field 
far  fro'm  the  voices  of  men,  lie  in  the  grass  close  to  her 
bosom,  listen  to  the  crickets  and  let  nature  comfort 
you.  She  can  and  will  bestow  her  blessing  <upon  us  all 
who  seek  her  virtue. 


40  CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS 

Natural  Thoughts  of  God's  Nature  Land 

'T'HE  world  of  nature  has  provided  us  with  the  nec- 
*■      essaries  of  life,  and  the  talent  given  us  to  make 
use  of  the  same.     Each  day  has  its  task — no  more.     It 
is   only   when   we  go  beyond   that  which   nature  has 
given  us  and  force  the  mind  and  body  to  do  things  not 
prescribed  by  nature ;  when  we  are  not  content  with 
present-day  surroundings  and  to  bear  the  evils  the  day 
may  have  brought  us,  but  harm  ourselves  with  antici- 
pation of  those  the  future  may  bring;  when  we  are  not 
satisfied  with  the  "daily  bread"  for  which  one  wiser 
than  we  taught  us  to  pray,  but  strive  to  lay  up  a  useless 
surplus   to   leave   behind;   when   the   pleasure  of   this 
world  was  given  us  to  enjoy  as  nature  provided  it  for 
in    wholesome    moderation   degenerate   into   wild   ex- 
cesses.    It  is   only  then  that  outraged   nature   takes 
revenge  for  the  neglect  of  her  laws,  and  sanitariums, 
climate  resorts  and  lunatic  asylums  are  filled  with  the 
victims  of  ill-regulated  lives. 
I  sometimes  think  we  may  not  see  a  climate 
More  complete  in  reality  of  loveliness  and  beauty  rare. 
Of  winter's  heaHng,  bailmy  air, 
That  brings  back  hop'e  to  the  afflicted  here, 
From  far  city's  troubled  everywhere. 
Like  long-forgotten  dreams  come  true ; 
In  this  sunny  land,  they  come  from  everywhere. 
Those  "health  seekers,"  and  when  they  do/u't  happen  to 
find  the  same  green  hills  which  they  had  away  back  in 
the  New  England  states,  then  they  just  keep  on  kickin' 
and  a'cussin'  and  call  "God's  country"  a  God-forsaken 
land.    For  an  example,  we  have  from  "a  traveler  on  the 
desert"  somewhere  in  this  beautiful  valley,  under  the 
title,  "The  Exile  Far  from  the  Old  Home."  a  poeni  in 
an  eastern  magazine  a  few  months  ago.     This  article 
found  a  large  circulation  in  the  eastern  states,  and  was 
reprinted  by  a  number  of  publications,  of  which  a  copy 
was  sent  to  me  by  eastern  friends,  inquiring  if  that 
talented   writer   was   telling  the   truth,   or   if   he   was 
"homesick,"  or  if  that  was  the  result  of  an  Arizona 


CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS  41 

nightmare.  When  he  starts  off  saying,  "I  am  down  in 
Arizona  on  the  desert's  burning  sands,  'tis  a  God-for- 
saken land,"  etc.,  so  down  the  line,  in  the  fourth  and 
fifth  verses  he  closes  by  saying,  "New  England  has  no 
mountain  full  of  wealth  and  mines  and  drills,  but  I'd 
give  this  whole  damned  country  for  one  night  of  its 
green  hills,"  etc.  It  is  Astonishing  how  some  people 
love  to  knock,  and  still  they  will  come  out  here  to  this 
land  of  the  blest.  If  they  would  only  learn  to  come 
before  it's  too  late,  and  not  faiil  to  realize  the  blessing 
the  Almighty  has  bestowed  upon  them  when  he  created 
the  dry  desert  in  the  great  southwest,  the  osnly  land  of 
hope  for  the  afflicted.  Thus  far  the  dry  desert  air  has  lost 
none  of  its  virtues,  because  one  little  flower  has  failed 
to  bloom.  Shall  nature's  healing  power  not  conquer 
the  white  plague  tomb?  Because  the  rain  forgot  the 
thirsty  land,  shall  not  life  live  on  the  desert?  He  who 
made  it  so  for  the  afflicted,  a  star  of  hope,  the  brightest 
that  ever  shone  were  God's  plan  for  you  and  me. 

There's  beauty  all  around  us.  Then  why  should  we 
be  sad?  Even  the  desert  has  its  beauty  and  sings  to 
the  lonely  heart  that  loves  her.  Her  beauty  thrills  the 
longing  heart  of  nature;  each  bush  and  wild  flower, 
each  towering  cactus,  speaks  to  the  listening  ear. 
There's  never  a  wayside  rock  but  offers  a  charming 
sight  to  some  passerby;  no  bird  but  may  thrill  some 
lonely  heart.  Though  shattered  life's  hopes  may  be, 
God  gave  us  all  some"talent  to  make  this  world  a  little 
sweeter.  Right  thinking  is  the  most  important  law  of 
nature. 


42  CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS 

A  Bright  New  Year 

TTHAT  the  new  year  holds  a  great  promise  for  each 
"■•  and  all  is  as  certain  as  its  coming.  It  opens  wide 
its  portals  of  hope;  reveals  in  glowing  outline  the 
bright  future  of  a  great  achievement,  and  points  the 
way  to  the  loftiest  heights.  All  that  it  asks  in  return 
is  that  we  shall  be  worthy  of  the  goal,  faithful  and  con- 
sistent in  our  progress  towards  it.  How  far  we  shall 
travel  along  the  road  illumined  by  the  new  year's  won- 
drous light,  remains  for  us  to  decide.  Nor  should  any 
selfish  spirit  mark  or  mar  the  conquest  of  the  opportu- 
nities it  presents. 

If  we  are  to  secure  real  happiness  for  ourselves  and 
fellow  beings  on  life's  journey,  we  must  practice  at  all 
times  the  full  significance  and  inspiration  of  the  dawn- 
ing year  by  perpetuating  our  love  and  sympathies  for 
mankind  everywhere,  and  by  giving  permanent  truth 
to  the  so  oft-spoken  good  swishes  of  New  Year's  day. 

Some  will  probablv  read  this  just  before  or  after  the 
new  year  comes  in.  I,  therefore,  would  like  to  extend 
to  the  readers  and  all  my  friends  a  hearty  wish  that 
1917  may  be  the  bes;t  year  you  have  ever  had  in  your 
lives.  Remember  that  our  lives  in  this  beautiful  world 
are  largely  what  we  make  them,  and  if  you  decide  right 
now  that  1917  will  be  a  good  year,  you  widl  find  in 
December  that  you  have  had  one  of  the  brightest  and 
most  blest  years  ever  known  in  the  land  of  the  blessed. 


Becfin  Now 

/^NLY  by  doing  our  duty  towards  o«ne  another  can 
^^^  we  learn  how  to  do  it.  No  one  would  dream  of 
learning  to  play  a  violin  merely  by  looking  at  the  in- 
strument and  couinting  the  strings.  We  must  begin  to 
play,  even  though  discord  be  the  first  result.  The  way 
to  anything  worth  reaching,  is  to  begin. 


CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS  43 

The  Flower  of  Civilization 

TTHE  standard  of  our  civilization  is  determined  by  the 
attention  given  to  details  and  the  use  made  of  pre- 
viously discarded  resources. 

The  savage  lets  the  desert  remain  a  desert,  but  the 
civilized  man  digs  the  irrigation  ditch,  floods  the  arid 
plains  with  moisture,  and  roses  bloom  upon  the  wind- 
sv^ept  sands. 

Christianity  has  won  its  place  in  this  sun-kissed 
land  by  conserving  and  developing  discarded  human 
beings  and  elements;  she  has  taken  ignorant  people 
and.savage  races  and  developed  them  into  the  flower  of 
civilization.  She  has  taken  the  outcast  of  society  and 
restored  him  to  his  proper  place  among  his  fellowmen. 

For  half  a  century  the  debris  from  the  coal  mines 
lay  in  the  discarded  mountain  heaps ;  then  the  industry 
developed,  until  today  fortunes  are  made  by  washing 
the  coal  fro'm  the  culm  banks. 

This  conservation  and  development  have  always 
been  accomplished  at  the  sacrifice  of  precedent  and 
tradition.  "It  iis  not  the  custom''  has  been  the  bane  of 
all  improvement.  The  traditionist  has  never  been  a 
prophet  or  an  inventor.  The  rebel  of  one  generation 
is  the  patriot  of  the  next.  It  is  not  true  that  ''what 
always  is  must  be." 

Here  in  the  southwestern  American  desert  is  the 
chief  indication  of  the  rising  standard  of  our  civilization 
in  the  conservation  and  utilization  of  our  resources. 
This  is  not  found  merely  in  valleys ;  it  runs  everywhere 
through  the  thousands  of  miles  into  the  mountains, 
"who  shall  bring  forth  its  wealth  and  the  desert  shall 
blossom  as  the  rose." 


rOR  the  benefit  of  those  who  know  me  in  the  West, 
*  I  can  truthfully  say  that  I  have  often  plucked  a 
desert  cactus  and  planted  a  flower  in  its  lonely  place, 
wherever  a  flower  would  grow. 


44  CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS 

Desert's  Beauty  by  Moonlight 

I F  THOU  wouldst  view  the  desert  aright, 
Go  visit  it  by  the  s^ilver  moonHght  fair ; 
For  the  gay  beams  of  light  some  day, 
Illuminates  its  wondrous  beauty  there. 
Thou  'wouldst  have  thought  some  fairy  hand,  • 
Twixt  and  straight  the  cactus  stand, 
In  many  a  freakish  knob  nature  had  twined ; 
Then  formed  a  cross  when  the  work  was  done, 
And  in  the  silver  light  that  shone, 
Showed  many  a  redman's  skill  on  stone. 
Whose  image  was  carved  of  man  and  beast, 
By  him  who  calls  the  desert  ''Home,  sweet  home." 


My  California  Friend 

/^UT  in  California  I  have  a  friend, 

^^^    In  thiis  great  western  world  that  has  no  end 

Y'et  weeks  go  by  and  mo  nth  is  rush  o>n, 

And  before  I  know  it  a  year  has  rolled  by, 

And  I  never  see  my  old  friend's  face. 

For  time  seems  like  a  swift  rushing  stream ; 

He  knows  I  like  him  just  as  of  yore — 

As  in  the  days  we  went  to  school 

And  played  together — we  were  young  then, 

And  now  we  are  busy,  hustling  men ; 

Busy  with  piling  up  an  earthly  gain, 

Busiy  with  itrying  to  make  a  worldly  name. 

"This  sutomer''  I  will  call  on  my  friend. 

Just  to  show  that  I  still  care  for  him ; 

But  summer  comes  »and  summer  goes. 

And  the  distance  between  us  dimmer  grows. 

Out  in  California — many  miles  away — 

Comes  this  telegram : 

"Friend  George  died  today." 
That's  what  we  get  and  deserve  in  the  end ; 
Out  in  California,  a  vanished  friend. 


CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS 


45 


The  Joy  of  Outdoor  Life 

T'HE  joy  of  outdoor  life,  the  life  of  nature,  the  life  of 
"*•  the  bird  and  the  bush;  to  sit  on  the  shady  side, 
surrounded  by  nature  and  God's  work  you  will  find  on 
every  hand,  His  glory  is  not  in  its  freedom,  but  I  find 
its  glory  in  the  open;  each  bird,  each  bush  and  wild 
flower,  each  towering  tree  speaks  to  the  Listening  ear. 
There's  never  a  wayside  rock  but  offers  a  charming 
sight  to  some  passerby;  no  bird  but  may  thrill  some 
heart,  though  shattered  life's  hopes  may  be.  God  gave 
us  all  some  talent  to  make  this  world  a  little  sweeter. 


When  We  First  Met 

VJT/E  MET  where  the  Pacific  ocean  roars, 
^^     On  an  evening's  stro'll  by  moonlit  shores. 
By  the  broken  ,glitter  of  the  wave. 
With  throbbing  he'arts  we  in  silence  stood. 
Then  out  to  me  her  white  hands  went, 
And  on  my  heart,  before  I  knew. 
Closely  nestled,  she  sobbed  and  cried  : 
''My  heart,  my  love,  'tis  all  for  you  !" 
And  when  she  could  weep  no  more 
She  kissed  me  with  no  shame  nor  fear. 
"O,  how  this  heart  of  mine,"  she  said, 
*'Has  pined  for  you  and  you  alone  !" 
'And  this,  my  true  love,  now  I  tell. 
For  back  to  Arizona  we  must  go ; 
And  speak  me  proud,  but  O,  my  love, 
'Tis  only  us  two  that  shall  ever  know." 


Toil,  the  Price  of  Peace  and  Joy 

VJjTORK  is  the  price  of  peace ;  toil  is  the  price  of  joy. 
In  this  lies  the  solution  of  life.     It  is  God's  law, 
and  it  is  man's  law.    There  is  no  easy  way.    There  is 
no  other  iluck  than  this. 


46  CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS 

The  Friendship  Flower 

pRIENDSHIP  is  a  wonderful  flower,  delicate  while 
^  young,  growing  stronger,  richer,  purer  with  the 
passing  years. 

Love,  hope  and  charity  form  the  soil  from  which  it 
springs;  sympathy  beautifies  it;  adversity  purifies  it; 
truth  is  the  elixir,  the  refined  spirit  from  which  its 
strength  emanates;  joy  is  intensified,  sorrow  alleviated 
by  it.     Its  chalice  holds  the  essence  of  love. 

Rare  friendship  flowers  are  those  that  blossom 
along  the  rugged  path  of  endeavor.  They  spread  upon 
the  air  of  the  clear  height  of  right  doing,  a  perfume  that 
heals  all  bruises  of  the  heart  and  soul.  The  fragrance 
of  one  of  those  flowers  will  sweeten  a  whole  life. 


Arizona  Welcomes  You 

/^OME,  view  the  grandeur  of  Arizona  at  will ; 

Search  for  peace  of  heart  with  all  your  skill; 
The  door  stands  open  wide  and  lofty, 
A  welcome  awaits  all  who  wish  to  enter 
And  seek  her  wealth  of  beauty  on  her  bosom. 
In  vaim  you've  searched  the  European  shores, 
In  vain  you've  searched  the  foreign  clime. 
Grass  and  flowers,  quiet  treads, 
On  the  mead's  and  mountain  heads. 
While  at  home  with  pleasure  close  at  hand. 
Its  charming  beauty  twinkliing  on  every  side 
Awaits  your  coming  to  view  iits  grandeur 
In  the  I'and  of  the  Golden  West. 


CACTUS  AND   BLOSSOMS. 


47 


Salutation 

YT/HAT  can  we  do  these  days 
^      That  will  make  this  world  brighter? 
Isn't  there  some  one  in  it 

Who  can  gladden  it  with  song? 
Jsn't  there  some  one  who  will  scatter 

Just  a  kindly  word  of  cheer? 
Maybee  it's  you  that's  reading 

This  brief  message  written  here. 

Everyone  of  us  has  a  duty 

That  none  but  ourselves  can  do ; 
Let  it  be  crowned  with  beauty 

And  a  meaning  deep  and  true. 
Let  each  of  us  cheer  the  other 

And  add  to  the  world's  brightness. 
I'll  be  your  faithful  brother, 

And  you'll  be  as  truly  mine. 

And  though  when  you've  finished  reading 

These  lines  you  shall  go  your  way, 
Good  friend,  and  but  little  heeding 

The  things  I  have  sought  to  say. 
Life  may  seem  kindlier  rather, 

And  hold  still  more  of  cheer, 
Because  we  have  come  together 

And  chatted  a  moment  here. 


One  of  the  First  Adobe  Inns  in 
Southern  Arizona 


.L 


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AUG  29  193tUG 


^EC'D  LD 

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^^i"  29  1937 

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